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• Date of publication Jan 20, 2025 Category: Practice Insight

  Co-creation in citizen science: sharing learnings and good practice from an indoor, airborne microplastics project

  by Ana Margarida Sardo , Laura De Vito , Kirsty J. Pringle , Mark Hansen , Kathryn Lamb-Riddell , Sophie Laggan , Timothy Cox , Ben Williams

  HOMEs was a citizen science exploratory project, aimed at investigating the presence of airborne microplastics in people's homes. Participants placed passive samplers in their homes, using low-cost microscopes to see and take pictures of their samples. The methods developed are promising, however there are a number of pitfalls to avoid and key considerations. This practice insight explores successful approaches and identifies barriers and limitations when embedding co-creation and participatory citizen science approaches to a research project. This piece focuses on the methods and engagement with participants, rather than on microplastics findings.

  Volume 24 • Issue 01 • 2025

• Date of publication Jun 10, 2024 Category: Practice Insight

  Measuring the impacts of participatory citizen science: lessons from the WeCount sustainable mobility project

  by Ana Margarida Sardo , Sophie Laggan , Laura Fogg-Rogers , Elke Franchois , Giovanni Maccani , Kris Vanherle , Enda Hayes

  WeCount was designed to empower citizens in five case studies across Europe to take a leading role in the production of data, evidence, knowledge and solutions for local sustainable mobility. This practice insight aims to explore the suitability and value of citizen science to address sustainable mobility and sustainable transport issues. The evaluation showed that WeCount was able to reach and sustain engagement with broad demographics in society and highlighted the importance of co-design in making citizen science enjoyable and empowering. Statistical significance was found: the more a citizen enjoyed their time, the more likely they were to state they would continue working with the data beyond the project. Moreover, WeCount citizens reported that participation led to action and/or changes in behaviours. While the numbers are modest (24 individual actions by around 10% of participants), this is an important, measurable outcome.

  Volume 23 • Issue 05 • 2024